Overview of Research in Laboratories

Material Science Laboratory                      Toshiki Makimoto
  The Materials Science Laboratory aims at producing new functional materials and designing of advanced device based on novel materials and biological function. Controlling the configuration and coupling of atoms and molecules is our approach to accomplish these goals.
 We have three research groups covering from thin film materials, such as nitride semiconductors, diamond, graphene, and superconductors, to biological molecules, such as receptor proteins and lipid bilayers. The distinctive characteristic of our laboratory is its effective sharing of the unique nanofabrication and measurement techniques of each group. This enables fusion of research fields and techniques, which leads to innovative material research for the future information technology.
 In this year, the significant progresses have been made in the researches on the optical characteristics of AlN, the transport characteristics of graphene, and the structural observation of a receptor protein molecule.


Physical Science Laboratory
                    Hiroshi Yamaguchi
  We are studying semiconductor and superconductor-based solid-state devices, which will have a revolutionary impact on communication and information technologies in the 21st century. In particular, we promote research of nanoscale devices fabricated using high-quality crystal growth and fine lithographic techniques.
 The five groups in our laboratory are working in the following areas: precise and dynamical control of single electrons, nanodevices operating with ultra low power consumption, novel nanomechanical systems utilizing mechanical degrees of freedom in solid-state architechtures, coherent quantum control of semiconductor and superconductor systems, carrier interactions in semiconductor hetero- and nanostructures, spintronics manipulating both electron and nuclear spins. We also promote the studies of cutting-edge nanolithography techniques, high-quality crystal growth, and theoretical studies including first-principle calculations.

Optical Science Laboratory                        Yasuhiro Tokura
  This laboratory aims for the development of core-technologies that will innovate on optical communications and optical signal processing, and seeks fundamental scientific progresses.
 The groups in our laboratory are working for the quantum state control by very weak light, the search for intriguing phenomena using very intensive and short pulse light, and very small optical integrated circuits using two-dimensional photonic crystals, based on the optical properties of semiconductor nanostructures like a quantum dot.
 In this year, we reported telecommunication-band singlet photon detection by MgB2 nano-wire, field experiments of quantum key distribution, observation of coherent phonon in carbon nanotubes, and first sub-femtojoule all-optical switch.


 


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